Collapsible clothesline dryer



Oct. 25, 1960 c,

SHORE 2,957,591

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHESLINE DRYER Filed June 6, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CHARLES SHORE @wMM A Tram [n7 Oct. 25, 1960 c. SHORE COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHESLINE DRYER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1958 INVENTOR.

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Oct. 25, 1960 c. SHORE COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHESLINE DRYER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 6, 1958 JNVENTOR.

CHARLES SHORE COLL'APSIBLE CLOTHESLINE DRYER Charles Shore, 'Cheltenham, Pa., assignor to Falco Products Co., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 6, 1958, Ser. No. 740,336

4 Claims. (Cl. 211178) This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 611,437, filed September 24, 1956, now Patent No. 2,851,169, and relates to an improved collapsible clothesline dryer of the type in which the rope arms extend substantially parallel to each other in horizontal positions on both sides of a central post when the dryer is fully unfolded with the clotheslines extending between the rope arms. This is known in the art as a parallel line dryer.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a collapsible parallel line dryer in which the rope arms are operatively connected to the central post by a means which simply and efficiently effects a folding and unfolding of the rope arms.

A further object of the invention is to provide a parallel line dryer in which the rope arms are moved from a folded position vertically adjacent and at an angle to the central post to an unfolded horizontal position by means of a simple and direct acting, slide mechanism which operatively interconnects the rope arms with the central post and which does not interfere with the ropes or clotheslines that are suspended on the arms. The slide mechanism of the instant invention is an improvement over the slide mechanism disclosed in my aforementioned copending application particularly with respect to the initial movement of the rope arms from the folded to the unfolded position.

Further objects and features of the invention will become more apparent a the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the dryer in the open or unfolded position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an end view looking from line 4.4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line 77 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a structural detail;

Figure 9 is a simplified side elevational view of the dryer in the closed or folded position;

Figure 10 is an enlarged elevational view showing the position of the rings on the rod in Figure 9; and

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 showing the position of the rings on the rod at the initial opening of the dryer.

Specific reference is now made to the drawing in which similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

The present dryer is generally indicated at 10 and is of the type known in the art as a collapsible parallel States Patent 0 2,957,591 Patented Oct. 25, 1960 line dryer. It comprises a central post .12, preferably a metal pipe which is adapted to be retained in an upright position in the ground as shown in Figure 1, a

pair of unitary rope arms 14 and 16 between which are suspended a plurality of clotheslines 18 and a novel means of interconnecting the rope arms to the central post whereby the rope arms are moved from'the collapsed position vertically adjacent and at an angle to the central post as shown in Figure 9 to a position where the rope arms extend horizontally and substantially parallel to each other or both sides of the central post as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The means interconnecting the rope arms with the central post comprises a pair of upper and lower collars 20 and 22, each being provided with pairs of spaced radially extending lugs 24. The upper collar 20 is fixedly secured adjacent the upper end of the central post whereas the lower collar 22 is slidable on the post. Four relatively long brace arms 26, 28, 30 and 32 are provided whose inner ends are flattened and received in the spaced lugs 24 of the slide collar 22 and there pivoted as at 34. The outer ends of these long brace arms are operatively connected to the rope arms 14 and 16 in a manner which will be described hereinafter. Pivoted intermediate the ends of the long brace arms as at 36 are shorter brace members 38 whose opposite or inner ends are received in the lugs of the fixed collar 20 and there pivoted as at 40.

' A pair of elongated rods 42 and 44 are provided which are somewhat shorter than the rope arms. The rods are preferably tubular, curved at their ends and secured thereat as at 46, 48 and 50, 52 by rivets to the respective rope arms 14 and 16. Adjacent its secured end 46, a rivet 54 is secured to the rod 42, the rivet having a shank 56 extending into the space between the rod and the rope arm serving as a stop. Similarly, adjacent its secured end 50, a rivet 58 is secured to the other rod 44, the rivet having a shank 60 extending into the space be tween the rod and the rope arm serving as a stop. It should be noted that the shanks or stops 56 and 60 are located adjacent the diagonally opposed secured ends 46 and 50 of the rods 42 and 44. The construction of the stops is shown in Figure 8.

The diagonally opposed outer ends 62 and 64 of the longer brace arms 26 and 30 are slidably and pivotally connected to the rods 42 and 44 respectively between the stops 56 and 60 and the adjacent secured ends 46 and 50 of said rope arms, while the diagonally opposed outer ends 66 and of the other longer brace arms 28 and 32 are slidably and pivotally connected to the rods 42 and 44 respectively between the stops 56 and 60 and the remote secured ends 48 and 52 of said rope arms.

The means operatively connecting each of the outer ends 62 and 64 of the longer brace arms 26 and 30 to each of the rods 42 and 44 includes a ring 70 loosely embracing each rod between each of the stops 56 and 60 and each of the adjacent secured ends 46 and 50 of the rods. The ring 70 has a shank 72 which extends diametrically through an aperture in each of the outer ends 62 and 64 of the longer brace arms, the free end of the shank being capped with an appropriate nut 74. The shank is rotatable on the brace arm and its length relative to the diameter of the brace arm is such that some play along the axis of the shank is also permitted.

The means operatively connecting each of the outer ends 66 and 68 of the other longer brace arms 28 and 32 to each of the rods 42 and 44 includes a similar ring 76 loosely embracing each rod between each of the stops 56 and 60 and each of the remote secured ends 48 and 52 of the rods. The ring 76 has a shank 78 which extends diametrically through an aperture in each of the outer ends 66 and 68 of the longer brace arms, the free end of the shank being capped with an appropriate nut 80. The shank is rotatable on the brace arm and its length relative to the diameter of the brace arm is such that some play along the axis of the shank is also permitted.

In operation, in the collapsed position the rope arms hang more or less loosely and vertically adjacent the central post at slight angles thereto, as shown in Figure 9. In this position, the rings 70 are adjacent the stops 56 and 60 and the latter rest upon the other rings 76. By grasping a pair of diametrically opposed longer brace arms and raising them, they unfold and their outer ends 62, 64, 66 and 68 move outwardly away from the post whereupon the stops 56 and 60 exert a force on the rings 76 causing the rope arms to begin rotating towards their horizontal positions. At the same time the rings 70 slide on the rods towards the adjacent secured ends 46 and 50 thereof and the slide collar 22 rises on the post.

At an intermediate unfolding position, the rings 7 actually abut the adjacent secured ends 46 and 50 of the rods. Then, continued upward movement of the slide collar causes the other rings 76 to slide on the rods towards the remote secured ends 48 and 52 of the rods urging the rope arms into horizontal positions generally parallel to each other on both sides of the post. In the final position the rings 76 are adjacent the remote secured ends 48 and S2 of the rods and the rings 70 are near the secured ends 46 and 50 adjacent the stops. Because the outer ends of the longer brace arms are pivotally secured to the rods and the latter are located on the sides of the rope arms away from the post, a past dead center or toggle action is accomplished when the slide collar bears against a stop 82 carried by the post in the fully unfolded position as shown in Figure 1. This action occurs because the slide collar strikes the stop 82 beyond the point where it would be in a plane with the longer brace arms normal to the central post. This action keeps the dryer fully unfolded without the need for a cotter pin to support the slide collar.

In the reverse or folding action, when the slide collar is moved downwardly on the post, the rope arms initially remain horizontal while the rings 70 and 76 cause them to rotate about their axes. Thereafter the rings 76 first slide on the rods towards the stops and then the rings 70 slide towards the stops until the final collapsed position is attained as shown in Figure 9.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention is herein shown and described, skilled artisans may make minor variations Without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible clothes dryer comprising a central post adapted to be held in an upright position, a pair of rope arms, four brace arms slidably and pivotally mounted at their inner ends on said post, brace members pivoted at their inner ends to a fixed position on said post above said brace arms and at their outer ends to said brace arms intermediate the ends thereof, a first rod secured at its ends to one rope arm and extending substantially parallel thereto, a second rod secured at its ends to the other rope arm and extending substantially parallel thereto, a first stop carried by said first rod adjacent one of its ends, a second stop carried by said second rod adjacent one of its ends and diagonally opposed to said first stop, means slidably and pivotally mounting two diagonally opposed outer ends of said brace arms on said rope arms between said stops and the ends of said rods adjacent said stops and means slidably and pivotally mounting the other two diagonally opposed outer ends of said brace arms on said rods between said stops and the ends of said rods remote from said stops.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said firstnamed means includes rings embracing said rods between said stops and the adjacent ends of said rods, said rings having shanks which are rotatably mounted on said brace arms adjacent said two diagonally opposed outer ends.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said last-named means includes rings embracing said rods between said stops and the remote ends of said rods, said rings having shanks which are rotatably mounted on said brace arms adjacent said other two diagonally opposed outer ends.

4. A collapsible clothes dryer comprising a central post adapted to be held in an upright position, a pair of rope arms, four brace arms slidably and pivotally mounted at their inner ends on said post, brace members pivoted at their inner ends to a fixed position on said post above said brace arms and at their outer ends to said brace arms intermediate the ends thereof, rods secured at their ends to said rope arms extending along the major length of said rope arms in spaced parallel relation thereto, a stop extending into the space between each rod and its corresponding rope arm, said stops being displaced from the centers of said rope arms in diagonally opposite positions, means slidably and pivotally mounting two diagonally opposed outer ends of said brace arms on said rods to one side of said stops and means slidably and pivotally mounting the other two diagonally opposed outer ends of said brace arms on said rods to the other side of said stops whereby said rope arms are supported in the collapsed position vertically adjacent and at slight angles to said post and in the extended position substan tially horizontal and parallel to each other and spaced from said post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,795,337 Hagar June 11, 1957 

